Report of Trust meeting with BCAFC - November 2025

Late on Tuesday 21 st October, in a statement , LaLiga, the Spanish Football League have announced that they have scrapped their plans to stage a top flight fixture, Villareal v FC Barcelona in Miami. This was due to be played on the 20 th December. The Spanish Footballers Association (SFA) organised protests against the match being held abroad, over the recent weekend with players from every team not moving for about 15 seconds. The SFA said it was a ‘symbolic protest, co-ordinated via the captains of each team, sighting a "lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence" from the Spanish League. This is a victory for the majority, the players and fans alike against the football authorities and shows that collective action can work. Just a week or so earlier Football Supporters Europe (FSE) reported in their statement , that UEFA's Executive Committee decided that the two games under discussion, Villarreal v Barcelona in Miami and AC Milan v Como in Perth, would be “reluctantly” allowed to go ahead as planned, citing “regulatory gaps at global level”. You can see UEFA’s statement here . They said that they “will continue to stand firmly with fans in Spain and Italy in resisting these damaging proposals. Together with our members in these countries, we are looking into every possible option to counter these plans. By forcing through these matches, La Liga and Serie A risk undermining their own history and long-term success while inflicting long-lasting harm to football in Europe – and beyond.” In early September hundreds of football supporters groups including Bantams Supporters Trust signed FSE statement expressing our collective opposition to domestic games being held abroad, representing millions of supporters across Europe. We also shared that statement on the Trust’s website, and in response to that UEFA has paused any immediate decision on whether to authorize proposals such as Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami or Milan vs Como in Perth (see UEFA’s statement here ). This represents a partial and temporary victory for supporters and players alike, because up to press the Milan vs Como in Perth is still going ahead, unless we know otherwise. We can report however that Italian ‘Como Ultras’ have been protesting at the weekend during their game against Juventus, where they had a 15 minute silence during their 2 – nil win. The silence was supported with a banner that read: ‘Lega Italiana: a gambe a-Perth (Italian league: legs o-Perth [open])’. And of course we know that even if there is a victory in that the Milan vs Como fixture does not move to Australia we know that the respective football leagues will keep trying, so the campaign to stop domestic games from being played abroad needs to continue.

This is the Chairs’ Report, written in October 25, ahead of our November AGM 2025, commenting on the promotion season and great start to this season on the pitch, as well as the national picture as a backdrop. It also covers our engagement with the Club, and all the work we have done amongst supporters linked to that. On the Pitch At the time of writing, the Bradford City team, are riding a crest of a wave. 2nd in the table after drawing level from being 2-0 down to get a point from the recent game against Rotherham United in a top verses bottom match, proved one of the most exciting games this season. City are 2 nd in the table with a game in hand as their home game against Lincoln City has been postponed due to Imps players receiving international call ups. Already we have beaten our West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town at home 3-1, Cardiff City 3-1 and Championship sides Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, 2-1, and 3-0 respectively in the League Cup. We valiantly lost to Premier League Newcastle in the 3 rd round, but Andy Cook scored our consolation goal against the team he supported as a kid. It is an amazing season so far, and many fans have returned to watch, with lots of new, younger supporters witnessing a new look, determined and confident Bantams side. The attendance against Huddersfield broke a new record with 24,075 at Valley Parade (in the modern stadium). In May the Bantams finally got promoted on the last match of the season in front of 24,033 – a record at the time, in the dying throes of injury time against Fleetwood Town. Valley Parade became alive with celebration after seeing Antoni Sarcevic redirect a George Lapslie shot into the bottom corner of the net, which led to scenes of unbridled joy, a pitch invasion, and much celebration on North Parade amongst fans and players. During last season, we started spritely, but we were inconsistent. We really started to pick up in December of last year. And we were unbeaten in 10 home league games. It was a huge improvement on the previous season but few could’ve predicted automatic promotion. It was Graham Alexander’s first full season in charge. This season, with a lot more investment in the squad than in previous years, our team is certainly capable of much more success at our new League One level. At last supporters feel a sense of pride that players are putting the effort in, playing as a team and getting the wins as a result. It is coming up to Alexander’s 2 nd year at Bradford City. Lets up that we can maintain the momentum well into his second year and keep it going until the end of the season, and hopefully the efforts on the pitch will reap the reward of another promotion. The Football Governance Bill update The Football Governance Bill finally became an act of Parliament over the summer, on the 21 st of July this year, and with it, the royal assent brought the introduction of the Independent Regulator. The first version of the Football Governance Bill was tabled in 2024, following the Fan-led Review of Football Governance which was launched in the immediate aftermath of elite clubs across the continent trying to form a European Super League. The Football Supporters Association (FSA) has long argued that football can no longer regulate itself as so many clubs were going to the wall, and that a review of football’s finances was long overdue. As far back as 2012/13 the national fans’ organisation had submitted evidence to a Culture, Media and Sport Committee investigation endorsing far stronger rules on club licensing, ownership and protection of assets outlining why “the regulated should not control the regulator”. Our Supporters Trust was one of those Trusts involved in submitting evidence around that time to the government’s Expert Working Group (EWG) on football governance. We made a presentation about the Supporters Board. This amongst all the evidence gathered, was published in 2016, and it encouraged the EWG to recommend something called ‘structured dialogue’ between clubs and their fans. These recommendations were subsequently adopted by the Premier League and the EFL as a requirement for all clubs. Following Bury FC’s collapse in 2019 the FSA put forward a wide range of proposals to the FA to protect our professional clubs – and this included the concept of a regulator for football. Fast forward a couple of years and more clubs at lower levels of the game teetered on the brink while billionaire owners tried to stitch up the game for their own benefit – and the Government was eventually left with no choice but to pick up the reins. The FSA’s list of proposed solutions called for a licensing system which removes the conflict of interest arising from club owners regulating themselves. The licensing system will now be put in place by the regulator along with a whole raft of recommendations that are very heavily based on the FSA’s proposals to the FA, representing a remarkable victory for supporters in shaping the direction of the game. In those proposals the FSA argued for better tests of “fitness” for club owners and directors, protection for “heritage” items, rules to prevent clubs being relocated without supporter approval and bans on “leveraged” buyouts which burden clubs with debt. The FSA also argued in favour of the concept of “stewardship”, with owners being custodians on behalf of fans who will be there long after a current ownership regime has gone – an idea which is now widely understood and accepted. For more info on what the Football Governance Act is about please see here . The year’s work Like previous years, there is always something to keep on top of. It is very demanding. Our three key things that we do best are: Keeping members informed and in the loop about we are doing and keeping you up to date as much as we can to what is going on nationally with our email articles, which we post on social media. Physically engage with members and supporters through our stalls on match days in the stadium. Engage with the Club through our ‘Structured Dialogue’, and of course keep members and supporters informed with what we have discussed and what comes out of the meetings. Commercial relationships Teemill We continue to work with Teemill, a UK based, ethically sourced company. We have samples of our designed clothing on our stall and we regularly promote it with an advert on social media and on a join leaflet which we produce every season. We now include a QR code on our advert that takes members and supporters directly to the online store: https://bantams-supporters-trust.teemill.com/ where supporters can buy our products. There is no investment costs with this, but if it does prove popular the income we get with each sale of merch sold could finance any upgrade to have more choice in terms of stylization, so for example merch such as T-shirts and hoodies could have back printing. Scarves Last year, in September 24 began to work with Arena Scarves Ltd. who produced 50 ‘away’ white retro scarves and 50 ‘home’ claret and amber retro style scarves both in the jacquard knit design. Arena Scarves are Leicester based. The claret and amber ones have been so popular that we are having to re-order more, and before long we will be soon out of the white ones to, so we are in the process of ordering some more of them too. Our publicity and website We continue to try and bring members and supporters a good mix of mix of news about what we are doing and national news that can have a direct Impact or indirect impact on supporters as the season takes it’s course. Over the last year we have brought you regular updates about the Football Governance and improvements in terms of how Clubs are meant to engage with supporters, and we’ve brought you informed detail about the Sky TV deal rights and fixture rearrangements. Some of this detail can be necessary info added from discussions with the Club through our engagement with the Club, such as our structured Dialogue meetings with Ryan Sparks. And at the end of August the Trust met with Paula Watson, the Director of Operations, Jonathan Heaton, the Club’s Safety Officer and Aaron Dennis the Dedicated Football Officer from West Yorkshire Police to discuss changes to the Sanctions and Bannings Policy and poor behavior at two key matches. This was due to new ways the EFL have been working in these areas, and these are linked to the proposed ways of working advised by the FSA at a senior structured dialogue level between EFL and our national fans’ organization. Some of our news may promote community work such as the Foodbank event organized by Accrington Stanley Trust colleagues last April, or community events and exhibitions such as the Community event at VP that had an immersive igloo, explore with a digital copy of the University of Bradford Stadium, or the Football fanzine exhibition at Leeds Central Library which had our very own City Gent fanzine displayed and the editor, Mike Harrison was among other editors and writers speaking at that exhibition event last June. And of course we informed you that the Council approved our application for the Stadium to be an Asset of Community Value in June 24 and in July BBC’s Look North did a story on this piece of news and featured prominent City supporters. And we cannot forget to mention we always publicise our annual organising to get a turn-out for volunteers for the Burns Unit collection, and this year we were guests of the Council at the annual memorial in Centenary Square on Sunday 11 th May this year. Our members get our emails, and there is always a trace of our work so that members can look up or go back to articles. The emails get sent to over 500 members and it is a free service. All our articles and meetings with the club are on our website. It is very easy to get around. You can find out what we are about, how we were formed and our policies. Trust Board meeting minutes and our AGM’s are also on there. On Social media City supporters can just see a strapline and link to our articles, and we regularly share on multiple groups with the help of the Meta Business Suite and we continue to use twitter of ‘X’ as it is now called. And we continue to reach Instagram too. Our profile on these social media channels has grown and we are much larger than life because of the frequency of posting. If it is not for posting links to articles, often with an image / design in our Trust box, it is our regular well wishing prior to matches regularly asking poignant questions relating to form and record of results and immediate challenges. These get the most ‘likes’. These have the retro scoreboard C’mon City clap graphics. Our Facebook Group has 924 members, up by 43 from this time last year and our ‘Followers’ Page has 1,689 people following us, up by 117 on last year. Our Twitter /X account, https://twitter.com/bantamstrust, has 401 Following , up 7, and 291 Followers , up by 4. We do have an Instagram site with 76 following on that. Our presence on social media has definitely grown and we have shown to be consistent in our approach to what we do. Concourse stalls in the Main Stand Now in our fifth season, the Trust stall on matchdays is still going! Situated in the main stand, we set up from between 1.30pm and 2pm on a Saturday. It is difficult because we are not there every week due to work commitments, but even so, we definitely have established a firm base of friendly faces that stop and chat and discuss their concerns and put a few quid in the donations tin. Due to the success of the team this season, the crowds on the concourse are much bigger so we are seeing a newer layer of supporters seeing the stall for the first time and at the same time seeing what we have on the stall for sale. It does get very busy and there are times when there are a lot of people around the table waiting to be seen. One thing we have been able to do this season, with a little bit of help, is to venture out in other areas of the ground just to give our leaflets out. We have just started to do this and hopefully it will pay off with people joining online. Fan Engagement / Structured Dialogue During the last Financial Year we have held three meetings with CEO Ryan Sparks: in November 24 , and then February 25 , and August 25 . It is always work in progress and developments within the Club are always at pace, so we are often playing catch-up in what is always a movable feast. Themes covered through these meetings were: Matchday experience , including Fanzone, atmosphere section, stewarding home and away. Railed seating Season tickets prices and sales , loyalty points and limited capacity at away grounds as well as matchday ticket pricing and special offers for struggling people. Environmental sustainability including improving public transport Restorative Justice – discussing how the Club deal with and support troublesome supporters seeing the error of their ways. Community building and Diversity projects – finding ways to work with the Club supporting community projects. Other core agenda items: Aspects of the Football Governance Bill/Act. Improving our Structured Dialogue – improving the Clubs’ fan engagement. Finances – what we need to spend on the stadium and pitch (maintenance costs) and investment from promotion and the Sky Deal extra income. Ownership – The importance of seeing Stefan Rup as improving the Clubs’ fan engagement. Important achievements for the Trust Yearly meetings with the Club and Police regarding practices around stewarding and policing and any changes to sanctions policy and details about what the Club’s restorative justice practices involve. Now that the ground is registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) in July of this year we met with Naz Shah MP to explore if there is a covernant to further protect the stadium. In May we played an important part in getting volunteers to do the bucket collection, raising £7,387.70 ahead of the Fleetwood game on the 3 rd May, nearly double what was raised the previous year. In March we consulted with supporters about the Club’s Early Bird Season Ticket price rise . Membership We now have 995 contacts that we have on our InTouch database, an increase of 11 this time last year (2024), and the email membership figure now stands at 508, a reduction of 6. We have a total of 290 ‘suppressed’ contacts (an increase of 18 on last year (2024) that we have to go through and identify – This list covers all contacts whose emails have bounced – this could be because they have changed their email addresses, or indeed passed away. It covers members who have unsubscribed or indeed members who have no other contact details. This increase is lower than it was last year (272). Whilst our membership is respectable, we still need to increase the membership in order to represent a wider and more diverse support base the Club has. We have made it easier to join than ever before, from when people can enter the website on their phones to the links on social media to our articles, there is always an option to join, and supporters can still pay their membership or renew via paypal and bank transfer by going to ‘ Membership Cost’ The Trust Board We continue to meet regularly, there is a familiar pattern in that it continues to be difficult in getting everyone available to meet at the same time. This makes it more pressing that we need more people interested in joining the Trust and getting involved and playing a role on the board. With more board members we can reach out more and be a bigger influence. You don’t have to live in Bradford to attend meetings. You can attend meetings on ‘Teams’ (we have had to change from Skype to Teams as Microsoft has dropped Skype) and play a role but living in the West Yorkshire area would help as we need more hands to maintain and expand our work. If you fancy it get in touch via hello@bantamstrust.co.uk . Whilst the Trust as a larger than life presence, as a board, looking to the future, we do need to develop a new generation of Trust activists replenishing the existing board, who do the best that they can give at the present time. The Trust is a democratic and independent organisation, and the only body of City fans that is part of a wider Supporters Trust movement on a national scale. We can act as a critical friend of the Club and as a collective campaigning force that can be organised into action. To realise this potential, we need more fans to join and get involved.

Dear co-signatory,  Following UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Tirana, on the 11 th September, UEFA has paused any immediate decision on whether to authorize proposals such as Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami or Milan vs Como in Perth (see UEFA’s statement here ). Instead, they have committed to a meaningful consultation process with all stakeholders—including fans—before proceeding further. This is an initial victory, but this is not over. Football Supporters Europe welcomes this development. UEFA’s expressed willingness to engage fans’ voices clearly reflects the strength of the opposition we’ve collectively mobilised. We believe this is a decisive step toward preserving the integrity of European football (see our full statement here ). Your support—alongside more than 550+ groups from 28 countries representing more than three million supporters—has been essential in amplifying our message that European football belongs in its stadiums, communities and cities. The scale and unity of this response have made a real impact. We extend our sincere thanks to you and your supporters’ group for co-signing our statement You Can’t Export Passion . Nonetheless, the threat to our game continues, yet our position remains the same: one domestic match abroad is one too many. We have prevented a quick decision, but we need to keep the pressure on to demonstrate the scale of opposition against these proposals. What’s comes next? We await the details of the consultation and will engage to ensure the position of supporters is heard. We will continue working at speed with UEFA, European institutions, and other stakeholders to protect and strengthen European football against these threats. We urge all co-signatory groups to stay vocal with your opposition. Continue voicing your opposition in your country, encourage other groups to co-sign the statement ( here ), and utilise any media contacts to keep the issue on the agenda. Once again, thank you for your solidarity and commitment. Kind regards, Ronan Evain Executive Director Football Supporters Europe

Our AGM is on Wednesday, 26th November, from 7pm, at Jacobs Well , near Bradford Interchange. This is your opportunity to make your voice be heard and contribute to making us stronger in terms of building the Trust membership and our finances, but we also want to influence the Club in securing it’s long term success and longevity, bringing in supporter-led initiatives along the way that improve the match day experience for all. You will get to hear about our achievements through our reports at the AGM. The existing Trust Board would like to see new Trust Board Members that have new ideas and proposals that will broaden our reach. Find out how you can play a role in the Trust here . If you would like to be a Board Member, please find a Board Member Nomination form for this year here . All Board Members are volunteers and we are a not for profit organisation. The deadline for submitting your nominations is Wednesday 12 th November 2025. There is space for a candidate’s statement on the form, and a proposer and seconder need to be members. For any enquiries about being a Board Member please contact us here . Members who receive our regular emails will be able to download our Draft Agenda and Papers for the evening nearer the time. For our AGM to be quorate, we need 20 Members in attendance. Only Members can vote. The AGM will start at 7pm, so please arrive in good time to order a drink at the bar. We will be in the snug area of the pub and greet members at the bar from 6.30pm. We understand that many of you will live across the country and further beyond, and therefore to encourage attendance we will have a hybrid meeting as in previous years, of members, in person, in the pub, or online video via Teams. The Teams meeting link will be provided nearer the time. We look forward to seeing you in due course.

In attendance from the Club: Paula Watson (PW) – Director of Operations Jonathan Heaton (JH) – Safety Officer From West Yorkshire Police: Aaron Dennis (AD) – Dedicated Football Officer (DFO) Representing the Trust was, Manny Dominguez (MD) – Chair Apologies were given from Matthew Pickles (MP) also from the Trust. Bantams Supporters Trust met with the Club and a representative of West Yorkshire Police working with the Club on Tuesday 26 th Aug. The last time the Trust met with the Club was December 2022. That was at a time when the EFL had brought out its new supporter sanctioning guide, developed with the FSA (Football Supporters Association), to assist its 72 clubs in dealing with supporter behaviour issues. You can see the EFL sanctioning Guidance here and the Executive Summary here . You can see our report of the last meeting we had with the Club here . At the time the Guidance had come out, Bob Eastwood, the EFL’s head of security and safety operations, said: “Following the return of fans, after the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic, the behaviour of some supporters has been placed under the microscope, which has prompted questions about how the football authorities deal with incidents that are in contravention of ticketing terms and conditions or ground regulations…” See full quote here . MD asked how the Club’s Sanction and Banning Policy was used since the EFL’s guidance came in. The Policy had been updated from around February 23 to put some detail of the variety of sanctions and the appeals process, and since then it has improved still further, for example, explaining what an acceptable behavior contract is and including ‘Education or Restorative Justice; in its’ levels of sanctions subject to the severity of the behavior. It also explains who (no names) the Appeals Committee’ comprises of. You can see the Policy here . JH and AD broadly explained that that they have an ‘acceptable behaviour contract’ often for young people, and those under 18 that get involved in activities that stop short of what is breaking the law but could progress to that, where parents are informed and there is a 'ABC Yellow card' system which is part of an Acceptable behaviour Agreement. AD explained that ‘Education’ is offered as a sanction and explains what behaviours / activities are football offences, the football ground regulations and what criminal offences are. An Acceptable Behaviour Contract is overseen in the presence of the clubs safety officer and/or the Police. Parents or an appropriate adult may be present. If there are further instances of poor behavior, they may lead to the other sanctions. It was further explained that police investigations are carried out at this time. JH explained that there is a sanctions panel team that he attends and another staff member, as well as a supporter representative where possible that decides the type of sanction. The subject has a right of appeal, and the Appeals Committee / Panel usually comprises of a senior staff member not involved in the initial sanctioning decision, the SLO, and where practical a nominated supporter representative. MD said supporter perception was that poor behavior happened more at away grounds, but AD said that that’s not necessary the case, explaining that, at away games most of us either come on trains and supporter coaches, and we are all together in an enclosure, so incidents and anti-social behavior is more noticeable. At home the poor behavior is diluted all over the ground. Supporters come at different times and with big attendances right across the ground, it makes incidents less visable. It was also pointed out that poor behavior is not just happening in and around the stadium or in city centres, there is an increase of online offences on social media and therefore this is included in the Banning and Sanctions Policy. MD brought up a couple of incidents when City were away: Doncaster Rovers on ‘Black Friday’, December 22 nd 2023 and last season when we went to Prenton Park, 12 th October 2024. In both games we had won, but @ the Doncaster game, the disabled supporters were situated in the front rows behind the goal. When we had scored supporters had ran down the front to celebrate and wouldn’t return to their seats, obscuring the sightlines of the disabled supporters and it appeared stewards could do little about it. Some of the disabled fans were visibly upset. In the incidents at Tranmere, supporters were allowed to congregate in the middle, standing on the stairways, so when we had scored in the first half, supporters on the stairways had toppled forward causing some to fall and cause alarm and upset. No one was seriously hurt but there could’ve been. In the second half, the stewards had gained control and most supporters were in or at least in front of their seats and those isles were clear. MD said he had written to Tranmere Rovers several times and had not received a response. And the FSA had advised to ask if we (the Club) had communicated in advance about possible situations likely within our traveling support. And that supporter perception was that stewards and police don’t do enough quell tensions when they arise. JH said that there is communication between clubs in advance of matches. We do have our own stewards to assist to manage our traveling supporters as it does help supporters to think twice to not get into bother. Often this is a reciprocal arrangement but Clubs have to request it AD said that when there are large numbers to away grounds, those individuals that can get carried away in their support feel safe in those crowds to do as they please, but issues around persistent standing or other matters which would constitute a breach of ground regulations are not police matters as we (as in the police) do not have any power to enforce them, this is turn means the police do not as a rule enter the stands as this may escalate situations when they have no authority to impose such regulations . Arrests are often made after the match, or following investigation. With regards to the Tranmere game AD said sometimes Clubs make mistakes in their strategies, and said that the halftime break allows stewards and police to regroup and gain control. MD asked it if there are communications to supporters to deter supporters from misbehaving / being considerate to others. PW said that there are many comms on social media pre match and during the match on the scoreboard or at times on the tannoy. MD asked about the ‘SQUAD’ training for stewards. “ Squad will improve the consistency & quality of training and allow all stewards to manage their own continuing professional development (CPD) through access to online training courses, resources and qualifications. Modules will include Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Safeguarding, Counter-Terrorism training.” An excerpt taken from an FSA’s EFL Network Meeting in June PW said that this is for stewards that have had their training and on the Clubs’ database. It’s not a platform for new staff at the moment. It was asked about supporter representation on the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) that regularly meets at the Club. SAG’s provide specific advice and guidance to event organisers – such as football clubs – and usually have representatives from the local council, football club(s), police, and other emergency services. The local authority can then provide clubs with a safety license. In other words, without SAG approval, major football fixtures couldn’t take place. It is the local arm of the SGSA and is an essential way of ensuring good liaison between stakeholders. The FSA consults with the SGSA at national level and encourages its affiliated groups to be represented at the local SAG level. Indeed is a recommendation of the SGSA itself, see here . MD advised a decision didn’t have to be made there and then. To round up, there was a discussion of the prevalence of a minority who have a disregard to what acceptable behavior is in football and to a certain extent it has always existed and will always continue as this is mirrored in society in our communities, and that society is based on compliance – a willingness to accept and respect each other, social norms and rules and regulation. We agreed to meet up yearly.

We, supporters’ groups from across Europe, representing millions of football fans, express our firm opposition to the ongoing attempt to subvert the rules of the game by allowing leagues to relocate games elsewhere around the world. The latest efforts to disrupt the nature of European football with La Liga and Serie A trying to relocate games to the United States and Australia are a direct attack on the essence of football. Should either of these leagues’ proposals be allowed to go ahead, it would instantly open a Pandora’s box with unpredictable and irreversible consequences. Every club, every national team, every fan base globally would be at risk of seeing the team they love taken away from them, relocated to another part of the world, for one game or more. Or see other countries’ competitions knock on their door, just as La Liga and Serie A’s presence would disrupt domestic football and fan culture in the United States and Australia. Football is based on a set of rules and principles and the rules of domestic leagues are simple: you play the same clubs home and away and the best team wins the league. Relocating games to foreign soil undermines this vital pillar of the game. Any deviation from the existing rules is a perversion of football for the sole purpose of entertainment and short-term financial gain. Clubs are neither entertainment companies nor traveling circuses. They exist for the benefit of their communities and provide a sense of belonging, where fans have been attending home games for generations. Breaking this vital bond, even temporarily, would undermine the cultural, social, and local roots that give our game its’ meaning. The concept of flying players, staff, fans, and others across oceans for a “home” game is absurd, unaffordable, and environmentally irresponsible. It goes against European football’s stated commitment to sustainability and accessibility for all. It risks surrendering our clubs and our leagues to the will of entertainment companies, dictatorships, or vulture funds, whose interests in taking European football away from its home go against the very fabric of our sport. Four years after European football stood united and defeated the super league, we are facing a similar existential threat. We invite fans, players, media, governments, and football officials to act in solidarity and take a stand at this decisive moment for the future of the game. We call on UEFA, FIFA, and all national associations to stand firm, play their role as regulators of the game, implement their existing regulations, reject these proposals, protect the integrity of the game, reaffirm their commitment to the European Sport Model, and ensure that football remains rooted in our communities, where it belongs. Don’t take the game away from us. #KeepFootballHome Ronan Evain, Executive Director of Football Supporters Europe. said: "If this goes ahead, it will be the end of football as we know it. UEFA, FIFA, Leagues and National Associations have an obligation to protect the game and reject these nonsensical proposals now." Co-signed by Football Supporters Europe and: 12 Crusaders, 1893 Supporter Tamm, 1894 Group, 1897 Group, 1899 Supporter Gemmrigheim, AberdeenDNA, accionistas adr, Accionistas Unidos Sevilla FC, Accrington Stanley Supporters Society Ltd, AGF Fanclub Aarhus, AISA – Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association, Ajax Supporters Association, AKS Zły, albercl 80, Allezlesbleuschampions, Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs, Amasmob, A Nedde OFC, APDA, Apmae, Arabako Garrasia, Armada Sud, Armada Vermelha, Arminia Supporters Club, Arsenal GayGooners Supporters Club, Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST), Arsenal Women Supporters Club, Artois Lens Boys, Asociación de Aficionados Unidad Herculana, Asociación de Peñas del Real Oviedo (APARO), Asociación de peñas Racinguistas, Asociación Los 50, Asociación Señales de Humo, Asso Béthune, Association de Défense des Supporters Stéphanois, Association Nationale des Supporters (ANS), Aston Villa disabled supporters association, Atrébates, BAFF (Bündnis Aktiver Fußball Fans) e.V, Bantams Supporters Trust , Barbarians Havrais 1993, Barnsley FC Supporters Trust, Benztown Connection, Besaya verdiblanca, Betis Bohemio, Betis Never Drinks Alone, Black and White Together, Blackpool Supporters’ Trust, Block Paris II, Bluebirds Supporters Trust, Bluebirds Trust, Bollaert boys, Brentford Football Community Society Limited (Bees United), Brentford Independent Association of Supporters (BIAS), Breisgauflitzer e.V., Brigada Ultras Sporting, Brigade Loire, Brigata Mai 1 Gioia, Brighton & Hove Albion Supporters Club, Bristol City Supporters Club & Trust, Brøndby IF Fan Department, Brøndby Women Fanklub, Brustringbrigade Sachsenheim, BrusselsPower 2005, Bullitouren, Burnley FC Independent Supporters Association, BVB Fan- und Förderabteilung, Cachorros Getafe, Camp Sweden TIfo, Cannes 1902, Cannstatt Fire, Cardiff City DSA, CCS Allez Racing, Celtic Disabled Supporters Association, Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust, ChéFrivilensois, Chelsea Disabled Supporters Association, Chelsea Supporters Club, Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, Chelsea Without Barriers, Cherries Trust, Ch’tis alpins, Ch’tis Boys, Chtis canaris, Clarets Trust, Club des Supporters de Monaco, Club Nr. 12, Colectivo Ultras 95, Col·lectiu de Penyes Valencianistes, Collectif Isarien, Collectif Ultras Paris, Colliers Wood United FC, Comandos Azules, Commando Cannstatt 1997, Corocotta, Corrillo Ultras, Crystal Palace Independent Supporters’ Association (CPISA), Curva Nord Milano/Secondo anello verde n il, Curva nord 12, Curva Rommel, Curva Sud Milano, Cymru DSA, D’blueje kempfer, Danske Fodboldfans, Dave Smith Loyal RSC, De Sparta Supporter, De Stichting 2023, Denon Athletic, Die Blockbrüder, Diesdorf Borussen, Directivo Ultras XXI, Disidencia Albinegra, East Fife Supporters Society, Eastside Borussen MV, El bus de los béticos, El Lotero Rockero Group, Elsass Racing, England Fans’ Embassy, Eskes, Esquinita del Tajo, Esteban Hortal Japón, Everton Fan Advisory Board, Everton Fans Forum, Excel’Lens, Exeter City Supporters Trust, F_in – Netzwerk Frauen im Fußball, Fairplay Initiative, Falkirk Supporters Society, Fama Boys Ultras 1990, Fan- und Förderabteilung Eintracht Frankfurt, Fan- und Förderabteilung des SV Darmstadt 1898 e.V., Fan- und Mitgliederabteilung 1. FC Union Berlin, Fanabteilung Eintracht Braunschweig, Fanarbeit Bern, Fanatico Boys Ultras Heidenheim 2008, Fan Club Forza HJK, FanRat Braunschweig e. V., FASFE – Accionistas y Socios del Fútbol Español, FC Muckefuck 2000, FC Schalke 04 Supporters Club e. V., Federación de peñas del Alba, Federación de peñas Rayo Vallecano, Federacón De Peñas Del Elche CF, Fédération des Supporters du RCS, Femmes de Malmö, Feyenoord Supporters Verenging “De Feijenoorder”, Fioi Della Nord, First Cork City Brigade (FCCB), Fly Me To The Moon fanzine, Fond du Bus, Fondo 1922, Fondo Azulón, Fondo Norte 1928, Forest Green Devils, Fortuna Supporters Collectief, Fossa Saló, Foxes Trust, FSA Cymru, Fulham Lillies, Fulham Supporters’ Trust, Galeere Cannstatt, Geezers Hietalahti, Gintonic Albiazul, GN 14, Gol sur 1907, Goodboys Wattrelos, Grada 1907, Grada Joven Almería, Grada Murcianistas, Green Angels, Green lads Barcelona, Green Yellow Ouest, Grizzly Blues, Grupo 1922, Gueules noires de bollaert, Guliganerna, Gurea DA-Accionistas Albiazules, Gypsies supporters trust, Haagsche Bluf, Halbzeit – Gemeinsam gegen Rassismus, Hammers United, Handi Storck, Handi Tolosa, HandiFan Club Rc Lens, Hart voor Heracles, Henk Nieuwenhuis, Hijos de Barrios, HK05, Hooligans Teddy Boys, Horda Frenetik, I coniugi, IF Gnistanin Kannattajat ry, Ilicitana Durante, Indians Tolosa, Insane Guys, Inter Turku Supporters, Iparlabeak, Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks, Iraultza1921, Irish Supporters Network, Iron Lens, Irresistibles Français, Jaro Supporters, Juvenil1991, Juventud 1907, Juventude Leonina Boys, Juventudes Verdiblancas 1986, Kinderjim, Klanen, Kleeblatt-Fanabteilung, Klopit, Klubipääty, Kop Ciel et Blanc, Kop De La Butte 1992, Kop du ternois, Kop Rouge 1993, KPO Crew, Kridef, Krokobande, KSO’93, L’Esprit Canari, La Banda Rojinegra, La Hinchada del Arlanzón, Leeds United Supporters’ Trust, Leicester City Supporters Club, Lens Capitale, Lens Centre, Lens Normandie, Lens PACA, Lens Picardie, Lens’Buscade, Lens’Oye, Lensbudcade, Lensois Du Sud, Lensois On Line, Les Gueules Noires De Bollaert, Les lensois du sud, Les Téméraires, Letzi Junxx – Queer FC Zürich Fanclub, Levante Fans 1909, Leyton Orient Fans’ Trust, Leyton Orientear fanzine, Libertad VCF, Lingon’s Boys, Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association, Locals1903, Londra Bianconera, LUSN, Magia Tricolor, Magic Fans 1991, Magic Lens, Malaka Hinchas, Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association, Manchester United Youth Supporters Club, Marchena Fans Betis, Mauves Army, Mauves Army 2003, MBIDF, MCFC Fans Foodbank Support, Merlus Ultras 1995, MFF Support, Middlesbrough Supporters Forum, Milli Deste, Millwall Supporters Club, Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association, Mineurs 2 fond, ML1, Mormile Raeticae, Movimiento Ambar, MUST (Manchester United Supporters Trust), My Old Man Said, NAC-Supportersvereniging, Nao’Hed, Nemetum Ultras, Newcastle United Supporters Club, Newcastle United Supporters Trust, Newport County AFC Supporters’ Trust, Nieuw Noord, Nordkurve Leverkusen e.V., Norsk Supporterallianse, North devils 08, Northampton Town Supporters Trust, Northern Ireland Seasiders, Nostra Ensenya, Notorious Boo Boys, Nottingham Forest Supporters Trust, Nukleo Ason, Old Rabbits Cannstatt e.V., Old School Hammers, Oldenburger Faninitiative e.V., Opale Lens, Orgullo Cazurro, Orgullo Isleño, Ösi Borussen 1909, Oss fanatics, Panthers Fano ’77, Pariser Section, Passione Paderborn, P.B. La Esquinita, Peña Albacetista K’Tomas, Peña Atlética de Alemania, Peña Atlética Indios de Caledonia, Peña Atlética Villalba, Peña Aúpa Racing, Peña Azul Madrid, Peña Bética Carnavalesca El Pato Verde, Peña Bética de Londres, Peña bética los asauras, Peña Bética El Manicomio, Peña Bética La Esquinita, Peña Bética La Periférica, Peña Bética La Pole, Peña Bética l’h Verdiblanca, Peña Bética Ludobetis, Peña betica Novena Provincia, Peña bética Sierra de San Pedro, Peña bética Triana 41010, Peña Bética Uruguados, Peña Carbayona El Fondrigo, Peña Peru Zaballa & Zamanillo, Peña Racinguista Comunidad Valenciana, Peña Racinguista Kant-Iber, Peña Racinguista Marea Verde, Peña Racinguista Ojáncanos, Peña Sevillista Colonos Coloraos, Peña sportiguista Piniella 6, Peña Sportinguista De Madrid al Cielo, Peña Sportinguista El Ferrerín, Peña Sportinguista Los Guajes, Peña Sportinguista sentimiento rojiblanco la regence, Peña Valderas, Peña Zaragocista Presentes Por El Escudo, Penya Barcelonista Lleó de Dues Cues, Penya Espanyolista de Mataró, Penya Valencianista Colla Blanc-i-negra, Pepa Betica Logroño, Pequeños Accionistas del CD Tenerife, Plataforma ADRV, PNE Online, Pomada Verdiblanca, Pompey Supporters Trust, Port Vale Supporters Club, Portsmouth Supporters’ Club (central branch), Portsmouth Supporters’ Club (Central Branch), Proud Hornets, Proud Lilywhites, Proud Seagulls, Projekt Trauer und Fußball, QPR 1st Supporters’ Trust, Qrcylens, Rabaltai, Racing Girls Strasbourg, Rainbow Blades, Rainbow Tractors, Raith Supporters Trust, RamsActive, RamsTrust, Ravenna 1913, Red and White Army Supporters’ Trust, Red Blue Angels 2012, Red Boys 96, Red Kaos 1994, Red kaos Grenoble, Red Star Fans, Red Tigers, Roazhon Celtic Kop 1991, Robins Trust, Saftkokaradn, Saikos, San Fernando casuals, San Jose 1913, Sang&Nord, Sanjose1913, Sarzana Presente, Saturday FC, Schickeria München, Schwarz-Gelbe Essener e.V., schwatzgelb.de, Scottish Football Supporters Association, Sección Mühle, Sección Völcaus, Section Kiosk 5, Section Muriel, Seguaci della Nord, Seguiment FCB, Settore Est, Sheffield Wednesday Women’s Supporters Group, Shenhua Element Crew, Siranac, Skansin, South End Core, South Leaders 2012, Spirit of Shankly, SpursAbility, Squadra 1940, STAR – Supporters’ Trust At Reading, Stichting KingZine, Stoke City Supporters Club, stup, Stuttgarter Hofboys, Sud’porters sang et or 65, Südland Arminen, Südtribüne Dortmund e.V, Sunderland AFC Branch Liaison Council, Suomen Maajoukkueen Kannattajat ry, Supporters associatie Go Ahead Eagles, Supporters Direct Scotland, Supporters Gol Sur, Supporters Mainz e.V., Supporters Pordenone & Bandoleros Pordenone, Supportersclub FC Den Bosch, Supportersclub Willem II, Supporterscollectief Nederland, Supportersvereniging Ajax, supportersvereniging De Trouwe Oss, Supportersvereniging FC Dordrecht, Supportersvereniging FC Groningen, Supportersvereniging NEC, Supportersvereniging PSV, Supportersvereniging Telstar, Supras Göteborg, Sustaina-Bees, SV Eindhoven, SV FC utrecht, SV FCVD, Sv Pro Excelsior, SV Superboeren De Graafschap, SVFCU, Swansea City Supporters’ Trust, Swindon Town Official Supporters Club, Swiss Fans’ Embassy, Synthesia 79, Szene 1916 Sandhausen, Team54, Terminus Guînes, The 1958, The Football Supporters’ Association, The Holte Trust, The Kilmarnock Supporters Society Ltd (The Killie Trust), The Mariners Trust, The North Fans, The OSC, The Scottish Football Supporters Association, The Shed End, The Well Society, Three Lions Pride, Tifozat Kuq e Zi, Tim, Torcida Verde Ultras 1984, Torreblanca Green, TotoTeam, Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, TRA Manchester, Trade Union Blues, TramsBarmyArmy, Trans Pennine Irons, Trasferta Molesta, Tribune Nord Sochaux, Turbulens, Txirimiri Verdiblanco, Ultra Boys, Ultra Boys 90, Ultra Naciente, Ultramarines Bordeaux 1987, Ultras 1898, Ultras 1911, Ultras Auxerre 1990, Ultras Bitola, Ultras Brescia 1911, Ultras Mantova 1975, Ultras Monaco 1994, Ultras Murcia, Ultras Palazzolo 1913, Ultras Udinese 1995, Unión de Peñas Sportinguistas, Union Internacional De Peñas Del Atletico De Madrid, UnoNoveDueSeis, Unonoveduesei Firenze, Unsere Kurve e.V., Utrera Betis Fans, VAK112, Vålerenga kokos, Valladolid 1984, Vamos Bien, Vandals Malmö, Venezianestre, Veterani IncUdine, VfB Fanclub 1806 Württemberg, VfB Fanclub Kutten 1893, Viking Supporters Cooperative, Villa Bellas, Villarreal Fans, Wanderers Bremen, Waterford Blues Supporters Club, West Ham United Supporters’ Trust, White Rose Reds Independent Liverpool FC Supporters Club, Wolf 17, Wolves 1877 Trust, Women of The Lane, Wor Flags, Wrexham Supporters Trust, Wycombe Wanderers Supporters Trust, Yorkshire England Supporters, You Boys in Green, Zoep’n Boere.

Bantams Supporters Trust has been working tirelessly to help secure the long-term future of Valley Parade as the home of Bradford City AFC. On July 18th, we were proud to meet with Naz Shah MP, who welcomed us for a constructive discussion about the importance of the stadium—not just as a football ground, but as a pillar of our community, our identity, and our heritage. We shared our vision of ensuring that Valley Parade remains our permanent home, owned by people who hold the club’s best interests at heart. We're committed to exploring every avenue to achieve this, and Naz has offered her full support in helping us move forward. Naz understands what Valley Parade means to the people of Bradford, and we are grateful for her backing and her pledge to assist in keeping our club rooted where it belongs. We remain determined to secure a future for Valley Parade that safeguards it for generations to come—owned and protected by those who truly care for Bradford City AFC and its community. This is more than football. This is home. We held back on publicising our news until we spoke to the Club about it at our recent Structured Dialogue meeting on the 4 th Aug to ensure our transparency with the Club.

In attendance from the Club were, Ryan Sparks (RS) – Club CEO Representing the Trust was, Manny Dominguez (MD) – Chair Apologies were given from Paula Watson (PW), Director of Operations, Justin Bret (JB) – Trust Vice Chair, and Matthew Pickles (MP) also from the Trust. Bantams Supporters Trust met with the Club on Monday 4 th Aug. Whilst we last met in March to be consulted on Season Tickets, The last Structured Dialogue meeting with a Trust agenda we had was on the 10 th Feb 25, 6 months ago. This meeting was a much-needed catch up on developments particularly on Fan Engagement. So, without further ado lets dive into it. Fans’ surveys We had previously asked about fans’ surveys, in particularly on how supporters feel after the game and feeling valued. It was said that Club would follow up on this. Season ticket sales breakdown We had asked for a breakdown on sales figures of season tickets which have been published on the Club website, here . The headline figure is that the Club have surpassed 16K in sales, 16,026 in fact ahead of the start of the season, which is very good. At a glance at the figures, they show healthy increases; 8,133 adults, 2,146 65+ senior citizens and 1,047 young people (17 -23) are all up. What is pleasing is the amount of youngsters / children and families attending – it was certainly noticeable at the first game of the season against Wycombe. And 13,089 renewed from last season, which is almost all. That said, it says that 7,192 took advantage of the Direct Debit scheme during the sale prices (Early Bird offer), an increase of 11% on last year, but it is not clear on what the total take up on the Early Bird offer was overall, that includes those that paid in the traditional way of paying all at once. Seeing it from another angle, how many of the 13k+ renewals from last season took advantage of the early bird offer? In hindsight, it would’ve been better if we could see the figures compared with figures from last season based on percentages. Perhaps these can be available at the next meeting. Also, and in addition, it would be good to see figures that show increases or decreases in numbers based on diversity with percentage comparisons from last year at a future meeting too. Away matchday ticket sales and away capacity limitations We noted that there will be a greater demand for way tickets this season. This was agreed but it was said that there will be many grounds that have significant increases in their away capacities compared with last season (in League Two). It was asked about capacity reduction, with the prime example of Doncaster Rovers last season in mind, as there was a lot of disquiet about the fact that on previous occasions they had given much us a much bigger availability of tickets. We had one unhappy member taking it upon himself to complain to City and the EFL about it. He referred to a regulation (35.7), which states that, “Each Club must make provision for at least 2,000 visiting supporters at every home match or such number as represents 10% of the Club’s certified capacity, if less than 2,000” It’s clear that this rule is used especially in high-stakes matches to give unequal competitive parity to visiting teams. FSA advice was that the rule has been used in this way on many occasions although the host club can give any other reason to justify it, such as safety. Any amendments to EFL regulations would need to be put forward by, and/or voted on by the League’s member clubs themselves. Clubs are permitted to recommend a rule change at any time, and as such would ultimately be required to vote on any implementation. But it is unlikely any Club would do this. RS’s advice was that our member may have got a better response from the EFL if the tone of his letters would’ve been more diplomatic or been left to the club to discussions that had already been ongoing. On the plus side, the Club did it’s best in inviting supporters to watch it on the big screen in the suites. Ticket re-sales It was picked up that the ticketing website has a section on re-sales, and it was said that this is something for the future as we are not yet selling out games. A lot of other Clubs further up the pyramid have this facility whereby tickets can be bought from supporters who are not able to go and then resold to fans that want to attend. Supporter Liaison Officer(s) /Resources for Fan Engagement team RS said that a new person will be starting from September as the club’s full-time fan engagement lead, and that from there it is hoped that the Club can grow a volunteer staff team. Improving our structured dialogue / Fan Engagement MD raised the importance of the Fan Engagement Plan (FEP) and that there were some amendments to it from the Trust that were agreed at the previous meetings that were not yet on there. See here . There was a concern from MD that area of fan engagement could be much better. RS reassured that he’d make sure he would look into it and ensure the amendments would be in place before we meet again and suggested that we propose all 4 dates for the year. It was down to the fact that the Club needed staff to cover this area but hopefully things will improve from September onwards. Supporters Board As part of Fan Engagement MD raised the fact that the based on the FSA’s preferred model, Supporters Boards should represent the widest number of supporter to be fully representable and that Supporters Trust’s should be key to that, however the SB constitution / Terms of Reference had changed some years ago whereby it has its own identity and that the chair of the SB and ST can meet outside its framework. RS’s advice was to talk to the SB Chair, Tony Bates (TB). Other meetings the Trust would like to attend as part of a consultation process All these areas were are covered under the Director of Operations, Paula Watson (PW). As environmentally sustainable football was one of those areas, RS reported that the Club had recently won silver in the EFL Green Club Scheme. Since this meeting, the Trust have successfully been able to schedule meeting with PW and others on poor fan behaviour / restorative Justice. Football Governance Bill The Bill finally became law on the 21 st of July. The Bill’s legislation will be overseen by an independent Regulatory body, Chaired by David Kogan (OBE), who has had a 45-year career in media and sports, has extensive experience in negotiating TV rights deals for major football bodies like the Premier League and EFL. The FSA had lobbied for this type of governance reform for many, many years. In 2021 it sat on the Fan-led Review of Football Governance and submitted 300+ pages of evidence and ensured 130+ of its’ member-organisations were involved too. There is a short version of what it covers and a longer one from the FSA. RS felt it was yet to be fully clear what power/s the bill realistically has around the finances of the game and wealth distribution would be centered around bridging the gap between the Championship and the Premier League. He is hoping to meet David Kogan at some point within the next 6 months and was very impressed with his initial introduction at a recent EFL meeting in London. EFL Sky Deal Asked how much the Club will benefit from now being in League One this season, it was said to be over, an additional £400,000. In May 2023 the 72 Clubs in the EFL agreed to a 5-year deal worth £935m that began last season. Both League One and Two Clubs have a minimum of 248 televised matches per season. See more detail here . We discussed the timetable of the schedule of the notice: Initially notice is given as soon as the fixtures come out until the 10 th January 2026, and then notice is given from the beginning of the year with notice more televised matches increasing as we move towards the end of the season. RS believes they are much better than in previous TV deals. They are the games’ biggest sponsor, he said. The FSA’s recommendation for giving notice for rescheduling is 12 weeks , and Sky’s is a minimum of 4 weeks . In some instances, Sky is breaking their own commitment of notice. The reason the FSA’s recommendation is a much longer period is to take into consideration travel and hotel bookings when fans plan for away trips. Maintenance Costs The Club said that maintenance costs are an on-going challenge. Although the stadium is modern, it is still over 20 years old, in its newest areas, and as a result needs on-going maintenance to the building. Ownership The Club said that the rental cost is more than £500K, though there is sponsorship income from Flamingo Land. We discussed a hypothetical idea of fans raising part of the funds needed for the Club to own the stadium it outright. It was thought not to be viable. Finances The biggest cost incurred is repairs and maintenance costs of the ground. Close to £200,000 has been spent on reseating the Kop over the summer. It will be the Midland Road next year, if financially possible. Those seats are in a better condition as they are shielded from the sunlight, which is why they are last to do. Also work on upgrading the McCall and Hendrie suites is also planned. The ground rental, still of approx. £500,000 is less impactful the higher up the league divisions we go, as it doesn’t increase against divisional status. Ownership MD asked, since Stefan Rupp attended the recent fans forum in June, would he be able to attend the occasional Trust or Supporters Board meeting. It was said that he comes mainly for the weekend to attend the match and then flies back home but will ask when he’s here next. Stadium Trust colleagues MD and MP attended a meeting with Naz Shah to discuss whether the local authority had a covenant on the stadium – an agreement within property deeds – in this case the stadium that dictate permitted uses and restrictions – to ensure its use is solely for football / watching sport. It was explained that we had discussed with Andy Walsh (AW), a full-time officer working on a temporary basis for the FSA at the time, specialising in stadiums being an asset of Community value and fan ownership, and advised us to investigate this route for the purpose of further protection of the land in addition to the ACV, and with the aim of receiving support. AW also sits on the board of AFC Wimbledon Supporters Trust The experience we had with the local authority was like getting blood out of a stone but Naz Shah had responded very positively. MD said that we wanted to hang fire with publishing our story until we spoke to the Club about it. RS said the Trust may do as it sees fit, but the club will not directly engage.

If anyone wasn’t able to be at the last game of the season at home against Fleetwood on May 3 rd 2025, they will know they missed probably one of the best endings of a match at Valley Parade in it’s history. Looking back ahead of that game, City had looked wobbly in terms of achieving results. Their last win was 2- nil against Crewe at home a month earlier (Sat 5 th April), and lost their following match away at Swindon, and then drawing the next 2 – one at home to Notts County (1-1) in front of the Sky TV crew on a Thursday evening and then away against the Spirites (3-3) before losing to Donny Rovers 2-1 at theirs. So, City had it all to do on their penultimate match and overcome Walsall at least on goal difference who had thrown away their lead in the table since we had beat them convincingly by 3 goals to nil back in January. The pressure was on then because we had to win. For the most part of this game, it was poor, and City played cautiously. It looked like for most City fans we were going to get in the play offs, especially when news came through that Walsall were winning away at Crewe on the hour. At the same time there was a massive urgency from the crowd to encourage a goal. It was only in injury time when the real drama took place. Antoni Sarcevic's shot on the turn went over! And then minutes later George Lapslie with the shot that got deflected in by Sarcevic, the winning goal which brought unbridled joy to Valley Parade in front of a record 24,033, with 420 from Fleetwood for the 25,000 capacity stadium built 25 years ago. The goal brought on a pitch invasion, but once the pitch was eventually cleared to play the remainder of the injury time, it was invaded again! It was almost unbelievable. Incredible scenes of jubilation at Valley Parade. All the frustration from years of lack of success, transformed itself into its’ opposite in an instant. We achieved automatic promotion, and to achieve it in that way, the Bradford City way, and then the celebrations on North Parade, the open top bus on the Tuesday evening was just something else. The result on the day was also the greatest gift to those we remember, our friends and family who never returned home 40 years on after the fire. Playing in League One So now we are in League One, both Club and supporters alike are looking forward to some mouthwatering fixtures. We certainly have more Yorkshire derbies to play. Donny Rovers, who came through with us as League Two Champions, Rotherham and Barnsley are our 3 south Yorkshire rivals, but we know have our West Yorkshire rivals, the ‘dog botherers’, Huddersfield Town to look forward to playing again. It will be interesting to see how former Premier League achievers Luton Town will fair this season, and going to Kennilworth Road will be a popular aim for many. And we have some fairly long distance travel to also, Plymouth, Exeter and Cardiff (another former Premier League team), and we have some Lancashire derbies too, Bolton, Wigan and Blackpool. We do face the return of playing Lincoln City too. The last time we were in the same league was League Two in 2010/11. Whilst the prospect of reacquainting ourselves with some of our rivals is exciting, there will certainly be some disappointments with getting to away games, because as we are now in a higher division, there will be greater demand from our fan-base to get tickets for getting to the away fixtures, and whilst we will see greater availability at some of the bigger grounds especially, it is inevitable some of these matches will be moved at police request or indeed for TV with a month’s notice or in some cases perhaps less. We will certainly keep a look out for that, and also not having enough loyalty points or ‘City Points’ will be a key frustration for many, and for some it will be rising costs of getting a ticket, especially from the bigger clubs in our league. These factors will bring supporters back to the reality of how costs and constant moving of fixtures dominate the modern game and with it, alienate supporters. How well will we fare in League One? The prospect of rising demand for away tickets, largely depends on how well we do on the pitch – picking up points from scoring goals in this results based industry. In terms of players who have departed then, it is a shame that, Richie Smallwood, Romoney Crichlow, Jamie Walker and Vadaine Oliver had to go. There was a lot of experience and team effort from these key players last season. In terms of who we have coming in this summer on free transfers, we have Stephen Humphrys (27-year-old center-forward from Barnsley), Josh Neufville (24-year-old right midfielder from AFC Wimbledon), Joe Wright (30-year-old center-back from Kilmarnock FC), and Matthew Pennington (30-year-old centre-back from Blackpool). They join Max Power, 31 from Danish Superliga side AGF, signing on a 2 year deal in May and, he joined Will Swan, 24 year old forward signed for an undisclosed fee from Crawley Town in June for two years. And just last week, we signed Everton’s Jenson Metcalfe, 20, on a 3-year permanent contract for an undisclosed fee. It’s always difficult to predict how Bradford City will do. No one predicted automatic promotion to League One before the start of last season, especially in the way it actually played out. The reality on the ground, we can say it will be tough in a new, higher division. We can hopefully, safely say that Graham Alexander will build a side based on the senior regulars and some of the new blood that has come in from May up to present. Jensen Metcalfe sounds promising playing alongside Andy Cooke and Bobby Pointon and Callum Kavanagh. There will be a lot of competition for places. If there is confidence in our squad against our opponents and we can regularly find the net as well as being able to prevent opposition forwards score goals consistently we’ll be doing something right. If we can consolidate our position in League One finishing the season strongly that would be amazing. But predicting how well we will do is a bit like prediction the British weather. Most supporters will be pleased with finishing strongly. There are probably over 16,000 season ticket holders at this point in time, and so if Graham Alexander and his coaching staff can create a real buzz in the team, we could see more attendance records being broken and away tickets snapped up quickly, but we shall see how this coming season will develop. Newer fans and certainly younger fans will have greater expectations than simply consolidation. Older fans know what to expect. We are sure there will be many twists and turns as the drama plays out. There will be injuries, and periods of peaks and troughs. It is always a roller-coaster ride, with fans divided on particular players and complete popularity on others as we dissect the game over a season. Another chapter that is unwritten as yet for 2025/26.